By Jessica Riga

Key Event

Stuart Robert pressed on the whereabouts of Alan Tudge

Trainee teachers could face a literacy and numeracy test before enrolling in degrees in university under a government plan to improve teaching standards. It’s claimed as many as a quarter of maths teachers in Australia are not qualified to teach the subject.

When Employment and Skills Minister Stuart Robert appeared on News Breakfast this morning he was asked about the whereabouts of Education Minister Alan Tudge, and why he wasn’t making the announcement instead. 

“I suggest in his electorate. I don’t know where he is. I tend not to keep track of my colleagues’ whereabouts,” he says.

When pressed on the allegations surrounding Mr Tudge and why a $500,000 payment has been made to one of his staffers, Mr Robert said he’s “not across those issues.” 

“They’re issues that are dealt with by the Department of Finance, very much at arm’s length from anyone. Certainly arm’s length from me. 

“I’m still not across what the details are. I’m not across what the legalities are.”

You can watch the clip here:

By Jessica Riga

Key Event

Shadow Foreign Minister responds to Solomon Islands PM lashing out at Australia

The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands has launched an extraordinary broadside against Australia and its allies, accusing critics of his country’s security pact with China of undermining his government and threatening to invade.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said his people are being treated like “kindergarten students walking around with colt 45s”.

Speaking on News Breakfast this morning Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the way Prime Minister Scott Morrison has responded to the issue has surprised her.

“Australia was warned about this in August last year and despite that, and a number of other warning signs, I don’t see, I don’t think Australians see, at a political level, action being taken that reflects the need, the imperative for Australia to continue to work to be the partner of choice. This is not an optional extra, this is fundamental to our security.”

Ms Wong says Labor recognises it will take time and work but says “it is necessary because securing our region is fundamental to Australia’s security”.

Reporting by Lucy McDonald

By Jessica Riga

Analysis: Morrison caught in crossfire, trapped between a crafty opposition and his own rhetoric

(ABC News: Like Stephenson)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s mission for re-election, already difficult, became that much more complicated this week, writes political editor Andrew Probyn.

On each of these cost-of-living fronts, Scott Morrison’s rhetoric has been squeezed by the triple grip of lived experience.

The war in Europe has seen fuel prices surge. Wholesale power prices have doubled in a year. And now, interest rates have started a sharp march north.

At the same time that Morrison was nominating petrol, power and rates as the points of comparison between him and Anthony Albanese, Philip Lowe was holding a line contrary to the industry pundits.

While the market was pricing in a bevy of interest rates in 2022, Lowe was claiming it remained “plausible” that the cash rate would not rise until 2024.

As someone senior said already about someone else during this election campaign: He didn’t miss it by that much. He missed it by that much (arms outstretched).

By Jessica Riga

Key Event

Peter Dutton and Brendan O’Connor to face off in Defence Debate

We’ve got another debate happening today! Here’s the ABC’s defence correspondent Andrew Greene to set the scene:

Ahead of this year’s campaign the government was widely expected to run a “Khaki election” – dominated by defence and national security, just like in 2001 following the September 11 attacks.

For much of its time in office the Morrison government has trumpeted record levels of military spending and contrasted it with cuts that occurred when Labor was last in office at the time of the Global Financial Crisis.

In anticipation of these attacks, the Opposition has moved to neutralise defence and national security as a potential election battleground, pledging to match virtually all government spending announcements in the portfolio.

The debate between Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Shadow Defence Minister Brendan O’Connor kicks off at 12:30pm AEST. (ABC News: Tamara Penniket, ABC News: Marco Catalano)

While backing huge investments in future submarines, frigates, armoured vehicles and Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the opposition has heavily criticised the government’s handling of various troubled and delayed projects.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese quickly backed last year’s surprise AUKUS announcement to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, while heavily criticising the “billions wasted” on the dumped French project.

Labor has also pledged to conduct the first “Defence Force Posture Review” since 2012 if it’s elected, potentially giving an Albanese government cover to reduce some troubled projects, or even to scrap them.

Last month’s signing of a controversial security deal between China and Solomon Islands has blunted some of the Coalition’s attacks on Labor as being “soft on Beijing” but also put national security to the fore of the election for several days.

Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine, and expectations of a renewed assault by Putin on the country’s eastern front has meant defence policy has never been far from mind during this campaign, and an area of likely discussion during Thursday’s Debate.

By Jessica Riga

Labor promises to review AFD recruitment and retention in ADF if elected

Labor is promising to review recruitment and retention in the Australian Defence Force if elected to government. 

The opposition has already supported the government’s plan to hire 18,000 more personnel by 2040, but says a comprehensive review is needed to ensure that target is met. 

The review will look at recruitment and retention measures including pay and conditions and housing and health assistance, as well as whether new programs are needed to attract former personnel back into the ADF.

By Jessica Riga

Good morning!

Welcome to Day 25 of the 2022 federal election campaign.

I’m Jessica Riga and I’ll be keeping you in the loop this morning as we embark on another day of hustings. 

Got everything? Coffee? Let’s roll.